It has been known for fishing near the bottom of a lake to employ a down rigger system wherein a relatively strong trolling line is played out from a rear of the boat. The line has a heavy weight attached thereto so that it descends substantially vertically with respect to the bottom during trolling motion. A fishing line is releasably attached to the weight so that when a fish strikes, the fishing line is released from the weight and the fisherman can play the fish without interference from the down rigger weight.
It is known according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,524 to provide a reversible motor connected to a down rigger reel to extend and retract the line. However, with such a prior art system, line extension must be constantly monitored so that when the weight hits bottom or is at the desired depth, the motor can be disengaged. Also, with such prior art systems, each time the line is lowered, such supervision must be maintained.